Each and every one of us has a dream and we all encounter conflicts that stand in the way of our ability to achieve it. Some people can reach their dreams, but many find themselves unable to free themselves from the personal, social and economic chains that bind them. In Steinbeck’s Of Mice and Men, Lennie and George had a dream of owning a farm. These characters embarked on a journey to achieve their version of the American dream. “Well,” said George, “we’ll have a big vegetable patch and a rabbit hutch and chickens. And when it rains in the winter, we’ll just say the hell with goin’ to work, and we’ll build up a fire in the stove and set around it an’ listen to the rain comin’ down on the roof—Nuts!” Along the way, their personal, social and economic limitations put insurmountable hardships in their path.

Throughout the story, each of the characters experience personal conflicts as they struggle with reality as it tears apart their hopes and ambitions. The masculine ideal was important to these men and where they found themselves lacking, they found the need to defend themselves by fighting. Slim, the jerkline skinner possessed the masculinity that the others respected, and the others looked up to him as a result. “When he finished combing his hair he moved into the room, and he moved with a majesty only achieved by royalty and master craftsmen. He was a jerkline skinner, the prince of the ranch… There was a gravity in his manner and a quiet so profound that all talk stopped when he spoke. His authority was so great that his word was taken on any subject, be it politics or love.” Curly, the ranch owner’s son, on the other hand, was focused on compensating for his small size by picking on others weaker than himself. “The swamper considered… "Well . . . tell you what. Curley’s like a lot of little guys. He hates big guys. He’s alla time picking scraps with big guys. Kind of like he’s mad at ‘em because he ain’t a big guy....

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...Of mice and men
Section B
Question 21
Part(a)
How does Steinbeck use details in this passage to present the bunkhouse and its inhabitants?
In the novel “Of Mice And Men”, Steinbeck presents the bunkhouse as being very hostile and unfriendly through the use of adjectives,”the walls were whitewashed and the floor unpainted”. This portrays the simple nature of the bunkhouse and it's only purpose: housing the ranch hands....

...Of Mice and MenEssay
A comparison of these two passages yields the concept that nature possesses a conflict between the ideal and the reality. One way Steinbeck expresses this theme is through his use of imagery. For example, he illustrates this imagery in the way he describes the actions of the woodland environment and how it changes from the beginning to end. Another way Steinbeck shows this idea is through the use of detail in his...

...ideas through the techniques they employ through the creation of narrative.
Composers of a novel are able to explore themes and ideas through the techniques which they employ through the creation of a narrative story. The novella Of Mice and Men is about two men working at the ranch in America to chase their dream to get their own place with rabbits. George Milton and Lennie Small are friends who travel together. They both share the same dream,...

...Essay Prompt: John Steinbeck’s novel, Of Mice and Men, has a controversial history. It has been repeatedly banned by school boards. Why might this book have been banned? Is such an action justified? In a five-paragraph essay, take a position for or against banning this novel. Use your three body paragraphs to develop each of three reasons for or against banning the novel.
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1.1 The first two paragraphs Of Mice and Men describe the countryside which serves as the setting for the novel. There are adjectives that describe aesthetic and colour such as "green hillside" and "golden foothills" and adjectives that describe sounds one might hear such as the "skittering" of a lizard. The author indicates almost an ageless place where many humans and animals have traversed over the same land. "Many boys", "many tramps", and "many...

...﻿Discuss how a novel you have read reveals the imperfections of its society.
Introduction
1. Introduce the topic of your essay: novels and themes
2. Thesis statement: has the novel used conventions to communicate the themes or not?
3. Introduce the main ideas of the novel the essay is exploring.
4. List the techniques and conventions the essay will discuss.
5. Summarise your personal response to the overall topic presented in the novel.
You can judge...